Home > Store

Upgrading Your HP Pavilion PC: The Official HP Guide

Register your product to gain access to bonus material or receive a coupon.

Upgrading Your HP Pavilion PC: The Official HP Guide

Book

  • Sorry, this book is no longer in print.
Not for Sale

Description

  • Copyright 2002
  • Edition: 1st
  • Book
  • ISBN-10: 0-13-100415-8
  • ISBN-13: 978-0-13-100415-3

Easily add memory, drives, burners and more.

  • Extend the life of your HP Pavilion PC
  • Contains plenty of photos, detailed diagrams, and step-by-step instructions!

Make your desktop HP Pavilion PC better, faster, and more useful!Whatever HP Pavilion you own—old or new—this HP authorized guide shows you exactly how to supercharge it! One step at a time, long-time PC expert Tom Sheldon shows you what to buy, what to do, and exactly how to do it. It's cheaper than you think—and easier than you ever imagined!

  • Add memory to run all your programs faster
  • Make room for more of your files with a big new hard drive
  • Burn your own audio, video, and image disks with a new CD writer or DVD writer
  • Bring astonishing realism and performance to your gaming experience
  • Learn new ways to maximize your HP Pavilion's performance without spending money!

Includes great ideas and projects for your older Pavilion!

  • Home Internet access stations
  • Fax centers
  • Digital music centers
  • Data backup devices and more!

Never upgraded a PC before? No problem: this book explains every step in detail, with photos and detailed diagrams. Already an expert? This book delivers HP-authorized information for keeping your Pavilion right where you want it: on the cutting edge!

Sample Content

Online Sample Chapter

Upgrading Memory in your HP Pavilion PC

Table of Contents

(NOTE: Each chapter concludes with a Summary.)
Introduction.
Start Your Engines.
Book Roadmap.
My First HP Computer.
Updates and Alerts.
Technical Level.
Acknowledgments.
A Word from HP.

I. GETTING READY.

1. HP Pavilion Overview.
Pavilion Systems. Knowing Your Pavilion. Pavilion Models and Series Numbers. The Design of the HP Pavilion. Project: Check Out the Web. Before You Continue: About HP Warranties.

2. PC Overview for the Uninitiated.
How Computers Work. Megahertz, Gigahertz, Megabytes, and Gigabytes. More about Clock Speeds. Components of a PC. CPU. RAM and Cache. Cache Memory. The Motherboard. Video Controller and Graphics Accelerators. Audio Systems. Storage Devices and Storage Interface. Cables and External Connectors. The Case. Operating Systems and Software.

3. The Benefits of Upgrading Your HP Pavilion.
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). Clean It Up. Performance Upgrades. CPU Upgrades. BIOS Updates. Memory Upgrades. Video Graphics Updates. Disk Upgrades. External Bus Upgrades. Fans, Power Supplies, and Cases. Operating System Upgrades. Additional Upgrades. Human Interface Upgrades. Optical Drives. Internet Access, Modems, and Digital Services. Home Network. Scanning and Imaging System. Sound System Upgrades. Digital VCR. Digital Video Editing. What to Do with an Older Pavilion.

4. System Inspection.
What's Your Model Number? Project: Get Your Model Specifications. Project: Inspecting BIOS. Using Windows Tools for Inspection. Windows System Utility and Device Manager. Project: Using the System Information Utility. Windows XP Help and Support. Automated System Inspectors. Project: Hands-on Visual Inspection. Step 1: Determine Your Case Type. Step 2: Identify Your Expansion Bays. Step 3: Inspect the Front Panel Connectors. Step 4: Inspect the Back Panel Connectors. Project: Looking Inside the Case. Step 1: Open the Case. Step 2: Look over the Motherboard. Step 3: Inspect the Chipset. Step 4: Inspect the CPU. Step 5: Look over the Memory. Step 6: Look Over the Expansion Slots. Step 7: Inspect the Power Supply. Step 8: Close It Up.

5. Performance Issues and Troubleshooting.
Not so Complex Terminology. Identifying Bottlenecks and Problems. Software Issues. Operating System Upgrade. Windows Update Utility. Patches, Drivers, and Service Packs. Intel Application Accelerator. Tools and Techniques of the Hardware Wizards. Boot Keys. Windows Startup Menu. System and Performance Monitors. Performance Settings. System Properties for Windows 95, 98, ME. Windows XP Performance Settings. Project: Troubleshooting a Bogged Down and Bloated System. Remove Unnecessary Programs. Troubleshooting Leaking and Piggish Programs. Video Performance. Improving Hard Disk Performance. Disk Cleanup Options. Scanning and Defragmenting the Drive. IDE Update. Hardware Configurations. Power and Cooling Problems. Cooling Issues. Power Supply.

II. COMPONENT UPGRADES.


6. Memory Upgrades.
Understanding Memory. About the CPU Bus (Front Side Bus). How Much Memory Do You Need? Types of Memory. Interesting Memory Characteristics. Tips and Techniques. What Type of Memory Do You Have? Project: Verifying your Memory Type. Buying and Installing DIMMs. Buying and Installing DDR DIMMs. Buying and Installing RIMMs. Buying and Installing SIMMs.

7. Video Graphics Upgrades.
About PC Graphics Systems. Features of Graphics Systems. More About AGP. Graphics Acceleration. Investigating your Video System. Verify your Graphics Controller. View and Change Display Properties. About HP Pavilion Graphics. Video Upgrades. Project: Disabling Onboard Video. Project: Installing a New Video Card. What About Video Monitors? Multimonitor Configurations. Video Problems and Solutions. Troubleshooting Tips and Techniques. Updating Video Drivers. Specifying more Video Memory.

8. Hard Drive Performance Tuning and Upgrades.
Before you Start. Overview: Hard Drives and Hard Drive Interfaces. Drive Geometry: Cylinders, Tracks, and Sectors. Partitioning and Formatting. Disk Performance-Related Features. Disk Interfaces. The IDE Interface. ATA Standards. Check Your Current Drive. Look in the BIOS. View Drive Properties. Check DMA mode. Inspect Inside Your System before Buying. Get Additional Information. Selecting a New Hard Drive. PCI-Based UDMA Controllers. Installing the Hard Drive: Preliminary Steps. Recovery CD Issues. Back Up Your Data. Update the BIOS and Chipset Drivers. Project: Install a New Hard Drive. Type 1 Drive Cage. Type 2 Case. Type 3 Cases. Connecting the IDE Cables and Power. Check Your Setup. Running the HP Recovery Process. Part I. Establish the Disk Partition. Part II. Format And Restore. Installing a Second Drive.

9. Optical Drives.
Understanding Optical Drive Technology. Spin Rate and Data Access Rates. Read Only and Rewritable. DVD Decoding. DAE (Digital Audio Extraction). Optical Drive Configurations. Upgrade Paths for HP Pavilion Owners. Inspecting Your System. Get Current Drive Information. Project: Removing and Installing Optical Drives. Step 1: Remove the Drivers. Step 2: Open the Case. Step 3: Remove the Old Drive. Step 4: Install the New Drive. Step 5: Install the Drivers and Software. Software. Troubleshooting.

10. Sound System Upgrades.
Project: Experimenting with Your Sound System. Capture Phone Messages with Sound Recorder. Create an Outgoing Telephone Message. About Sound Systems. Sound Production and Special Effects. Advanced Soundcard Features. Digital Audio Interface. Examples of Advanced Soundcards. Speaker Systems. Inspecting Your Sound System. Look in Device Manager. Soundcards and Chips used in HP Pavilions. Choosing a New Sound Card. Adding a New Sound Card. Removing the Sound Drivers. Disabling Onboard Sound. Removing Sound Cards. Install the New Sound Card. Setting Sound Features and Parameters. Control Inputs and Outputs. View Sound and Audio Device Properties.

11. Gaming, Video Editing, and Home Entertainment Systems.
Sound Systems, Music, and Gaming. Video Card, TV Tuner, Digital VCR. ATI All-in-Wonder Radeon 8500DV. AVerMedia TV Tuner. Video Editing. Networks and Media Centers.

12. Internet Connections and Home Networking.
Inspect Your System. Networking Concepts. Wired Ethernet. Wireless Ethernet. Phone Line Networking. Broadband Internet Access. About Firewalls. Configuring your Network. More Information.

13. Outside-the-Box Expansion.
USB. USB 2.0. USB Products. More About USB Controllers and Hubs. Project: Check the Status of Your USB Interface. USB Troubleshooting. FireWire (IEEE 1394).

14. Operating System Upgrades.
Windows 95 to Windows 98 or Windows Me. Upgrading to Windows XP. Microsoft's Recommended Minimum Requirements. Hewlett-Packard's Minimum Requirements. Incompatible Software Issues. Other Recommendations.

III. SPECIAL PROJECTS.


15. Power and Cooling.
Checking for Heat and Power Problems. Dirt and Air Flow Check. Heat Check. Power Check. Project: Adding a Second Fan. Power and Power Supplies. Project: Replacing the Power Supply.

16. CPU Upgrades.
Basic Terminology. Gather Information. Step 1: Check Your BIOS. Step 2: Check Windows Device Manager. Step 3: Check Your Motherboard Information. Step 4: Inspect Inside the Case. Get your Spec Number. Step 5: Get Update Information. Step 6: Visit the Pavilion Forums. More About CPUs. Sockets and Slots. Intel Processor Packaging. Intel CPU Code Names. Intel Celeron Processors. Pentium III. Pentium 4 Processors. AMD Processors. Buying an Upgrade CPU. Project: Searching for an Intel Processor Upgrade. Another Example: A PPGA CPU. Project: Removing, Inspecting, and Installing a Socket CPU. Removing a Socket-based CPU. Installing a Socket-based CPU. Project: Removing and Installing a Slot CPU. Removing Slot-based Processor Modules. Installing the processor module.

17. Case and Motherboard Upgrades.
Pros and Cons. Advantages of Moving your HP Motherboard to a New Case. Disadvantages of Moving to a New Case. Advantages of Upgrading Your Motherboard. Problems with Upgrading the Motherboard. Decision Time. ATX and microATX (? ATX). Case Advice. Motherboard Advice. Things You'll Need if You Upgrade the Motherboard. Get More Information.

IV. APPENDICES.


Appendix A: Pavilion Motherboard Guide.
Appendix B: Case Disassembly.
Appendix C: Backup and Recovery.
Appendix D: BIOS, Driver, and Chipset Updates.
Appendix E: Managing System Resources.
Appendix F: Managing Device Configuration.
Appendix G: Resources.
Index.

Preface

Introduction

Welcome to the official "Upgrading your HP Pavilion PC" guide. This book will help you get the most out of your new or old HP Pavilion PC. You'll learn the tricks of the technicians and the hard-core HP users who have already busted into their systems to troubleshoot and upgrade.

Start Your Engines

Desktop PCs sold through retail outlets such as Wal-Mart, Costco, Staples, OfficeMax, and other nationwide stores are often designed to average specifications rather than performance specifications. This minimizes technical problems and reduces support requirements. Many of these "average" PCs have great potential to be upgraded. But there are limits. For example, you can't put the latest Intel Pentium 4 in a system that was designed a few years ago for Intel Pentium III CPUs. Some systems limit the speed of the CPU, so even though faster CPUs may physically fit in the system, they won't work once installed.

Still, with the right upgrades, you might be able to turn your street-legal machine into a race car that competes with the best.

Book Roadmap

Here's how this book is structured. In Part I, I introduce some computer concepts and then go over some of the benefits of upgrading. You'll learn how to inspect your system to see exactly what you've got. Then we'll look at some performance monitoring tools and troubleshooting techniques. This will help you determine if your system is running up to par and if you must make adjustments for better performance before you go out and spend money on upgrades.

In Part II, you'll learn how to upgrade various parts of your system, including memory, video, hard drive, optical disks, sound system, and external devices like portable drives and memory.

Part III includes more advanced projects like upgrading the power supply, the CPU, and even the motherboard. You'll also find out how to keep your system running cooler to prolong its life, and how to switch the case, just in case you need more room inside the box for upgrades.

Finally, the Appendices. They are not to be ignored. In fact, you won't be able to ignore them because they contain general information about all the different HP Pavilion PC models. The appendices help you identify your system and show you how to disassemble your particular model. The appendices also contain technical information that not all readers need, so I pushed it to the back of the book. Appendix G contains a list of important resources on the Web where you can get more information about your HP Pavilion PC.

It is important to understand that this book does not directly focus on individual HP Pavilion PC models. There are hundreds of models, too many to cover individually. Instead, I focus on the motherboards used inside these models. HP has used over 30 different motherboards in its Pavilion PC models, and by focusing on just motherboards, I can provide a reasonable amount of information in the small space of this book. Just keep in mind that what you read here is not always specific to your model, but I show you how to get your model-specific information at various HP Web sites.

Appendix A is where to go to determine what motherboard your system has. There, you can look up your HP Pavilion PC model number and its motherboard. HP motherboards have names like Berlin, Cognac, Hawk, Condor, Pandora, and Samba. These motherboard names make it easy to talk about your computer with HP technical support and in the wider HP Pavilion community on the Web. Appendix A contains a description of your motherboard and provides you with enough information to appear as somewhat of an expert when chatting on the HP Pavilion user forums. Appendix G provides the Web addresses for these forums.

Disclaimer: I did not have access to every HP model while writing this book, so some of the information is based on HP technical documents and manuals. Because HP models are included in a series, there are often discrepancies in the specifications. In some cases, models were built with parts different from the description. This was usually due to a transition in the parts available for building a system (some systems were built with more advanced parts than those listed in the general specifications). I have done my best to resolve these discrepancies, but you will need to use several methods to verify your own specifications as outlined in the text. The CPU upgrade guide (Table 16.1) was the most difficult, because motherboards typically have many different revisions. The newest revisions have fixes and updates that allow for faster CPU upgrades. However, I cannot tell you which revision your model contains or if it has upgrade limitations. You may need to obtain your motherboard revision number and refer to an authorized HP service representative before buying CPU upgrades.

My First HP Computer

By the way, I've been using Hewlett-Packard computers for a long time. Check out this picture of my old HP 41C calculator. It's really a complete computer system in a handheld design, and it is over 25 years old! The keypad and display are alphanumeric so you can type in messages and programs and use it as you would a modern PDA. The system includes a magnetic card reader for saving and loading programs and messages, and a bar code scanner for reading in program code or to make typing easier. It also includes printer and memory expansion modules. You can plug in specially designed application modules that provide a variety of business, scientific, and engineering applications. Best of all, programs and applications are still available from many sources.

Updates and Alerts

Here's the address of my Web site where I will post book updates and new information about upgrading your HP Pavilion PC.

http://www.linktionary.com/pavilion/

Please check the site occasionally. I'm also developing some videos that I hope to "stream" from the Web site. These videos will help illustrate some of the upgrade procedures more clearly than the black and white photos you see here.

Technical Level

If you are new to PC hardware, some of the upgrade projects presented here may seem complex. My philosophy in writing the book was to provide as much information as possible rather than gloss over topics. Please refer to a qualified technician if you are confused about a project. But before doing so, use this book as a guide to learn about your upgrade options and find out what upgrades are best for your system. You will learn a lot about your PC and be able to talk with your technician on a higher level.

A Word from HP

This book is intended for advanced PC users who are knowledgeable about PC technology, familiar with electronic safety guidelines, and experienced with hand tools. Without this awareness, get assistance from a knowledgeable person or for best results, from an authorized HP service provider.

Users of this material are advised to review and understand the terms of their product warranty. HP warrants its product only in the configuration in which it is shipped from the factory. If you alter the configuration of your HP Pavilion PC such that it terminates the warranty, and later require the assistance of HP Technical Support, you will be charged on a time and materials basis.

The concepts and procedures presented in this work are those of Mr. Tom Sheldon, a noted technical author, who is not an employee of Hewlett-Packard Company.

—The Hewlett-Packard Company

Updates

Submit Errata

More Information

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020